Casket carrier



April 1945- c. 1.. BERG 2,372,927

CASKET CARRIER Filed Sept. 9, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 3, 1945. c. L. BERG CASKET CARRIER Filed Sept. 9, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fly. 7.

INVENTOR Patented Apr. 3, 1945 .umrra-D, STATES ems-NT .o-Frflcl:

QAQKE AR R Ohristy' LrBerg, StQLouisrMo. zippl icationz-september 9, 1943,, SerialNo 5Qlfi33 5 Claims.

- .Mersely oven the. grave, the, dome of the ..vault beins suspended inv suitably spaced relation. above the base-byssome suitable apparatus, such as -.that described in said patent numbered 1,855-A69,

and so astoenable the-pall-bearersuto deposit the cot-finer casket uponthevault base: and below-.thedome, after whichthe dome-is lowered over thecofiin to its. seatupon the base-and the whole @lowered into the grave.

For the operation of locating .and depositing the ,coflin .upon :the Vau1t=base, the skill and i .mamlal handling of the apallebearers has heretoione been relied upon. -.-'But thismethod is more nor:less-inconvenient to thepall-bearers OWi-Ilg tO the limited. space for the WOL'k, and the obstructions. oileredrby the supports of the lowering ap- .paitatus.

.Itzls thechief obj ect of the present invention therefore. toprovide means for facilitating placing the cofiin. upon 5 the vault base, and "whereby this ..-0pe1 ation .may be conveniently eifected by .one. man ialone.

Another .-.obiect of the invention: is to provide .a' lightcaster or Wheel. borne frame or dolly-arranged f orsupporting. the: forward end of a coifin in the process of trundling it over and looating it.proper1y upon .a vault base, the rear portion .of the-eoftln being simultaneously supported. upon rollers located upon the forward-end ot-the-vault base,...and whereby thesettwo accessories incombination -enable the @coflin to ibe conveniently rolled endwise to its. locationuponthe vault-base .by. theirelativel-y islight. effort of .onaman alone,

the apparatus includingmeans iorconveniently removing; the dolly from beneathtthe f or-ward: end

of thecofiinafterathe latter has been properly locatedoupon the vault abase.

Another. object. of the invention ist-to: provide "a dolly (or. casket.- carrier for carrying the: forward end of a cofiin. or; casket upon.and alongsa -vault :base {while the "rear portion thereof is -.carried .npon; rollersi removably mounted. at lthe fotward or;.approach..end of the abaseithetsaid .dolly tor hqarrier-compnisingia pairofsectionalon two-part end members withthempartsof .eachmemben piv- -smelly.connected. medially .ato formeollapsible or applicantfs patent numbered h latt ha b prop rl cat d neo bl iP l ll fi H j 5 atisa h e h ll h dolly including cross rodsfor transversely cone st e th sella sib end; su p s and; o ea i fyieexti iQ d e Q -a coffin, a ons e ov va l bas a d t a th ou t o l p ible -s l qw ew itm the meta n s see the va tba esil e ta ssl W? an r he; efimeae ina qf sie t -t nk bas .m sse a ll te e slre i s ze e d u w r l h 19n seaports. as me s' o e e bl lashi -fil .sq aesib een su ose sma hi t sele e d o th l lsq e ent tress s rzi bel te es th en suees t r heir normal ,operatiye uposition@012 supporting a "1n i e st d-: if =i lee is vib up er mmi -the d ur-from; beneath the coffin, aft

t vault base.

i'l'h r win ren w a efe re embodimen s t .in ntionflwhet i i isur is an e vel vat on o h do l e in op a i os t u o n .end io c a l base, the restof the base beingbroken off.

;Figure 2 is ,a frontal frag-mental vieWofthe .dolly and vault base, showing one side of the base with one; end of the dolly located 5 thereon. Figure 3 is a top plan yiwotthedollyalone. figureA-isiaperspective View of thedolly as ridin upon the rear end ofa vault base,.showing in dotted lines the broken off. endoithecoffln a up e tedup e dolly.

li igurefi is aside elevation otthe forward or approach end ,of the vaultbase showing rollers remosably mounted thereon for supporting the medial .portion of the coffin, as indicated in dotted lines.

l ligure fi is a side, elevation of the rear end of .a vault base, showing ,=the dolly and coifin .ad-

vanced: thereontolocation, showing thedolly .as buckled upward medially for freeing thelatch .bars for lowering the dolly anddepositing the coflin. upon the-vault base.

-;=Figure 7-is;a View similar to, Fieurerdshowing thedolly as lowered or collapsed atits medial .portions for depositing theend of; the vcofiin :upon t the riser blocksgof the vault base-for removalof .the. dolly.

The invention is designed for upon the base "B of a burial-vault (not shown), in the-process .of an interment,. and .the: invention i comprises a caster or Wheel -borne dolly or -carrier-represented generally at= 5, and which includes at each end a sectionalor two-part supporting Inember :6. eachsectionor partof each supportin member including spaced triangularplates 157d, supported in parallel relation by bolts 8, 8a, so,

which are passed fixedly through the plates.

The plates of one section or part of each supporting member, as the plates Ia are positioned closer together than the plates 1 of the complemental supporting member, and the tapered corners of the plates 1a. are passed within the similarly turned and tapered corners'of the complemental plates 1, and are there pivotally connected by the bolts 8b passed through both sets of plates. The outer ends of the medial bolts 8a of the plates la are extended as shown, and upstanding pivot pins 9 are seated on these ends. Latch bars ID are bored through at one end and thereby pivotally seated over the pins 9. Coil springs H are seated over the upperends of the pins and secured by nuts 9a. upon the threaded ends of the pins. The bars l extend over to and rest upon the extended ends of the medial bolts 8a of the complemental plates "I. Thus the bars Ill may be swung out from the plates for collapsing the supporting members or may be turned inward for latching the members to their operative position. Casters l2 mounted upon the lower bolts 8 between the plates, carry the dolly.

The plates 1, la, at each end are bored through in alignment near their inner point and outwardly of the common pivot bolts 82), as shown at lb, and a pair of carrying rods l3, [3a are passed transversely and slidably through these holes at each end, thereby operatively connecting the members 6 in laterally adjustable relation and stably supporting the dolly in use. The rods [3, 13a normally extend or protrude outwardly of the supporting members '6, so that when the latch bars ID are closed inwardly to the outer plates 1, la, with the free ends of these bars resting on the extended ends of the bolts 8a of the plates 1 (Fig.

3), then the outwardly extended ends of the rods l3, 13a, may rest upon the upper sides of the latch bars at each end of the dolly, thereby preventing the complemental sections or parts of the end supporting members 6 from collapsing downwardly at their inner and pivotally connected corners, and maintaining them to their upstand ing and operative position, as required in the process of carrying a comn.

A pair of short, flat arm M are rigidly bolted as at l5 to the plates I, adjacent the widened ends thereof and are extended angularly upward and outward in exact. transverse alignment. A push rod I6 is threaded at its ends and is passed freely through holes Ma. formed through the outer free ends of the arms I4. Nuts l'l upon these threaded ends of the rod H5, at each side of the two arms, 5

enable the end supporting member 6 to be adjusted inwardly or outwardly along and upon the carrying rods l3, l3a, for the purpose of accommodating the device to various sizes or widths of cofiins.

Sockets 18 are formed in laterally spaced relation in the forward end of the base B, and a roller l9, journaled at its ends in heavy lugs 20 is provided, these lugs being formed with stems or fingers 2011 at their under sides adapted for seating into the sockets H3. The base B is also formed or provided with pairs of laterally and longitudinally spaced and suitably aligned riser blocks 2|, adapted to support the ends of the coffin C, when the latter is properly located upon the vault base B, and the dolly herein described is removed. The blocks 2| may be integrally formed with the vault base, or may be independent blocks laid upon the base for receiving the cofiin. These blocks serve to slightly raise the coflin above the base B, and

facilitates the removal of lowering devices and straps (not shown) from beneath the cofiin, after the interment has been completed.

In the use and operation of the device or apparatus described, the dolly or carrier is positioned at the forward end or approach of the vault base, and over the riser blocks at that end. The pall bearers deposit the forward end of the cofiin upon the dolly, with the end thereof abutted against the push rod It and resting upon the two carrier rods I3, l3a. In this arrangement the dolly is positioned with the push rod l6 turned inwardly towards the opposite end of the vault base, and with the carrier rods 13, |3a turned outwardly so as to conveniently receive the end of the coffin thereupon. One man may then take .hold of and support the outer free end of the 'cofiin, and may push the same inwardly and endwise onto the vault base, the forward end of the coffin being carried by the dolly and the rear end thereof being supported and carried upon the roller l9, after the cofiin has been far enough advanced along the base for that purpose. When the coffin has been properly positioned upon the base, a short hand lever 22 may then be inserted at one end horizontally between the forward plates 1, at either end of the dolly, and over the medial bolt 8a, and underneath the adjacent carrier rod l3 (see Fig. 1), and then by bearing down upon the outer end of this lever, the section of the supporting member 6 at that end are caused to buckle upward (see Fig. 6), pivoting upon the central bolt 8b, and then by turning the latch bar l0 outward at that end, and free of the extended ends of the carrier rod 13, lfia, the sections or parts of the supporting member [i will collapse and fall downward (see Fig. 7) letting the end of the cofiln rest upon the riser blocks 2| at that end of the base B. The described operation being repeated at the opposite end of the dolly, the forward end of the cofiin is thus brought to rest fully upon the riser blocks. In the positioning of the cofiin upon the vault base, the rear end of the coifin has completely rolled off the roller l9, and rests upon the riser blocks 2i at that end .of the base. Thus the cofiin rests entirely upon the riser blocks. The completion of the interment then proceeds in conventionalmanner.

While I have here shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, and certain structural features thereof, the said embodiment as well as the several structural features involved, may be changed or modified as desired, within the scope however of, the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the kind described for trundling a coflin to location upon a vault base, the same comprising a pair of wheel-borne supporting members spaced apart in parallel alignment, the said supporting members each including two elongated parts hingedly connected end to end, and thus adapted at their medial portions to be either raised or lowered, a pair of carrier rods extended side by side in parallel spaced relation between the said supporting members and engaging separately at their ends the parts of the supporting members to maintain same in upright and operative position, and means for releasably locking the parts of the supporting members to their horizontally aligned and operative positions, said means including latch bars pivoted at one end at each side of the device to the outer sides of one of the laterally aligned pairs of supporting members, the free ends of the latch bars tended ends of bolts seated in the outer sides of the complemental supporting members, whereby the outwardly extended ends of the said carrier rods may have a medial bearing upon the latch bars for maintaining the two sets or pairs of supporting members to their horizontally aligned and operative positions.

2. A device of the kind described, comprising a low-swung, wheeled dolly including a supporting frame that may be buckled upward or downward from its normal neutral and operative position along a transverse medial line passing between the wheels, and means for releasably looking the supporting frame to its normal and operative position so as to function as a vehicle, said means including latch bars pivoted at one end to the outer sides of one buckling section of the frame and supports on the outer sides of the other buckling section for engaging the free ends of the latch bars.

3. A device of the kind described for supporting the forward end of a coifin in the process of locating same upon a vault base, the same comprising a low-wheeled vehicle including a medially parted frame having the parts thereof hingedly connected to move upward or downward at their inner portions, from their normal neutral and operative position as a vehicle, and latch bars pivoted at one end at the outer sides of one part of the frame and means on the frame for supporting the free ends of the latch bars and for maintainin the parts of the frame to their horizontally aligned and operative positions for releasably locking the frame to its normal neutral and operative position for functioning as a vehicle.

4. In a device according to. claim 3, means on the frame for holding the end of the cofiin against forward slippage.

5. In a device of the kind described for supporting the forward end of a coilin in moving same to location upon a vault base, the same comprising a low-wheeled dolly including a rectangular frame supported at its ends by twopart end members pivotally connected at their inner abutted ends to provide collapsible supports for the frame as a whole, each part of the twopart end members including pairs of triangular plates spaced apart and so supported upon bolts passed therethrough, the tapering ends of the parts of each supporting member being pivotally connected to move upward or downward as desired, means for releasably locking the parts of the end supporting members to their aligned operative positions, carrier rods extended transversely between the aligned end supporting members and passed slidably and separately through the aligned parts of the supporting members aforesaid, thereby operatively connecting the supporting members in aterally adjustable relation and supporting them in upright position, wheels journaled between the said triangular plates of the supporting members, at their lower outer corners, a pair of short, fiat arms extended upward and forward from the forward margins of the said supporting members, in transverse alignment, and a push rod threaded at, its ends and passed slidably through holes in the upraised ends of the said arms, whereby this push rod may co-operate with the slidably mounted carrier rods in adjusting the lateral spread of the supporting members of the device, there being nuts upon the threaded ends of the push rod for locking same in any adjusted position.

CHRISTY L. BERG. 

